1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a communications device and, more particularly, to a phone appliance, which transmit voice over data network, which will henceforth in this patent, vernacularly, be referred to as an IP Phone or phone appliance including a display screen for displaying advertisements and other information downloaded from a network. The present disclosure also relates to a method of using a phone appliance having a display screen and more particularly, to a method of using a phone appliance having a display screen for providing unique benefits to a user, e.g., defraying part or all of the cost of phone service.
2. Background of Related Art
Sending voice over data network, such as Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) communications, is quickly emerging as a viable means for communicating. For example, communications over data networks can entail a calling party using a standard telephone to place a call by connecting to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The call is routed by the PSTN via the Internet by an originating gateway. After being routed through the Internet, the call exits the Internet and is received by a destination gateway. At the destination gateway, the call is routed through the PSTN to a standard telephone of a called party.
The main advantage of communications over data network is the ability to make long distance telephone calls at a fraction of the cost of traditional circuit-based calls. For example, the calling party may reside in Brooklyn, N.Y. and the called party may reside in London, England. Nonetheless, the calling party is billed for the VoIP telephone call to London, England at a lower rate than tradition circuit-based calls, since much of the voice is transmitted through data network such as the Internet. It is, however, predicted that this main advantage of VoIP communications will soon be reduced. Regulations and laws are being proposed to charge VoIP providers access charges, which comprise a percentage of the cost of providing traditional long distance. Therefore, it is foreseen that once these regulations and laws are passed, consumers will use VoIP communications less frequently than once imagined.
Further, communications over data networks, such as VoIP, may be used for foregoing long distance telephone charges. For example, VoIP communications have not evolved significantly to provide for performing other services while making a VoIP telephone call, such as integrating voice with data, allowing consumers to view advertisements, video clips, etc. and for replying to the same, and making VoIP more seamless for consumers to use.
Additionally, in order to make communications over data network a more lucrative tool for VoIP or a related communications companies, business methods need to be implemented where the communications companies receive a fee for various actions performed by the calling and called parties while on a data communications call.
Therefore, a need exists for preventing a decrease in VoIP or its liked data communications due to charging consumers who make such communication calls at long distance telephone calling rates.
A need also exists for making the use of a PC or other computing device together with a phone seamless when both devices are used to make VoIP communications calls.
A need also exists for enabling consumers to perform other services while making the VoIP communication call and for charging a VoIP communications company or other service provider company, or the consumers, with a fee for the services performed by the consumers. Such fees are likely to be used to defray the cost associated with making VoIP communications calls or other data communications calls at long distance telephone calling rates.
Further, a need exists for a phone appliance having a portal for displaying data transmitted over the VoIP data network.